The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is demanding that the maker of a potentially defective airbag component recall 67 million units. But the manufacturer, ARC Automotive, says it isn’t proceeding with the recall.
The Knoxville, Tennessee-based subsidiary of China’s Sensteed Hi-Tech Group (000981.SZ) makes inflators for airbag modules, which have been used by at least 12 different automakers in the U.S., according to NHTSA.
The ARC airbag inflators used before 2018 have been found, based on field reports collected by NHTSA, to have a certain defect where in some cases the inflator ruptures when inflating—and metal particles are ejected in the passenger compartment. (ARC airbag inflators made after 2018 include a safety feature that detects debris in the inflator “mitigating the possibility of field rupture.”)
NHTSA cites 9 specific incidents that lead to bodily injury (two of which were outside the US). Those include two that lead to fatal injuries. The incidents started in 2009, with the latest in March of 2023.
“NHTSA has investigated and identified a risk associated with a set of ARC air bag inflators that if left unaddressed would lead to more incidents in the future,” a NHTSA spokesperson said in a statement to Yahoo Finance. “While incidents are rare, the incidents that have occurred have been severe, prompting the agency to issue a recall request. NHTSA is taking this action under its authorities to investigate potential defects and oversee recalls as required by the Vehicle Safety Act.”
— Read on finance.yahoo.com/news/nhtsa-demands-the-recall-of-67m-potentially-deadly-airbag-inflators-company-disagrees-185932306.html
NHTSA demands recall of 67M potentially deadly airbag inflators; company disagrees
EHS Safety News America 